Sunny and Rayne have finally got things back to normal - nearly , Rayne is a vampire vampire slayer and has a hot Vampire boyfriend Jareth and the perk is they can walk in the sun , Sunny is now back to normal as a mortal after her and Magnus found the cure to her vampire curse and she is now the girlfriend of Magnus who is the leader of the Blood Coven, all is set to be well and life back on track till it is discovered that Magnus has to take a new blood mate now that Sunny has been turned back to mortal. Enter Jane Johnson , looking like a model and a Rhodes scholar at that it seems that Sunny may be losing her Magnus. When jealousy strikes, Sunny and Rayne decide to do a bit of digging and it turns out that Jane isn't who she says she is and now Sunny and Rayne have a week to get Magnus and the rest of the Vampire world to see the truth before she is bitten and joined to Magnus for eternity.

So Sunny and Rayne jump a plane to Las Vegas where the union is to take place , here they discover and meet their dad's new family Heather and her daughter Crystal and their half-sister - get ready for it ...... Stormy, this made me chuckle.

We also get a surprise in this novel as it takes an unexpected turn as we discover the girls are also full-blooded fairies , I didn't think that this was going to work and I had my doubts about what it would flow like going from Vampires / Vampire Slayers / Werewolves and now Fairies but Mari Mancusi has written it perfectly and it definitely works.

Mari Mancusi's Blood Coven Vampire series has something for everyone and if you wish to have fun and become a member of their coven head to http://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/ and create a membership :)

To Recap to readers as it has been yonks since I read the first book in this series "Boys that Bite" we meet twins Sunshine aka Sunny and Rayne. Yes , Wonderful Hippie names. Rayne has just completed Vampire Training Course and was ready to officially become one of the dead when they accidentally bit her sister Sunny instead. Now Sunny has become a Vampire and Rayne left to decide where her destiny lies.

Fast Forward and Skip a book as unfortunately as we all know libraries when it comes to purchasing series are a bit out of whack and very rarely do them in order so that's why Book #3 is getting a review before Book #2 Stake That.

In Book #3 Girls That Growl , we discover that Sunny is now back being a mortal and has a Vampire Coven master Magnus as her boyfriend and Rayne finally got her wish in a sense and is a Vampire and has a hot Vampire boyfriend Jareth -however it's not as simple as it seems as we will learn with the twins. Rayne was poisoned with a virus which means she's a vampire without the powers though it does have perks like waking in the sun. She is also a Vampire Slayer and works for a company titles Slayer Inc killing off Vampires and other nasty supernaturals which is where Girls that Growl come in as it seems that the whole cheerleading squad has been turned into Werewolves and if someone doesn't do anything about it, the whole football team may start disappearing one by one. Can Rayne and Jareth solve the case which will include some international flight travel and one horrible Batman Shirt.

Find out and read how awkwardly Rayne saves the day and what she will have to do to save the school's Pep Squad - the last thing on her mind ever in Girls that Growl.

Today's VBT# is author Reena Jacobs and her novel "I Loved You First".

Review: I Loved You First - Reena Jacobs - July 2011

Wanting to check out a really good LGBTQ novel ? One that is aimed at Teenagers and in both African and Caucasian Viewpoints ? I Loved You First tells the story of two college students Seth Richards and Alex Carmichael. One is gay and the other straight , One male and the other female , One Black and one White. Alex and Seth have been friends forever and now reaching college-aged Alex is in love with her best friend Seth , though of course she knows that she can never be with him that way and that he will always look at her as a sister or close friend. The novel takes place during their college partying days as we follow Seth who is still in the closet and Alex his ever faithful sidekick. Seth is the kind of guy who has used the girls as beards and Alex every time he picks up a girl -hopes that he will use her , allow her to pretend. During rush week and a party at the fraternity, Seth is roofied and ends up revealing to the world that he is Gay and what follows is the aftermath of the effects as we see Seth on the edge of killing himself and Alex whose finally met a guy who actually wants to date her - torn between the new guy and Seth. Can the two of them work out where they stand with each other and can Alex be there for Seth or will she be too late to say Goodbye ? Be prepared for twists and turns as Seth's revelation leads many more characters and ones that surprised me to come out of the closet per se.

Author Guest Post:

What You Could Have Been Reading?
What Could Have Been

When I first decided to write College Rock, the story was told from Jonathan’s point of view, and Sarah was just the friend.

Wait a minute! College Rock? Jonathan and Sarah? Yeah. That’s how far I Loved You First has come. Sarah (AKA Alex) was a bass player in a band, and Jonathan (Seth) was a womanizing straight guy. Name changes, new professions, changes in sexual orientation – today, I’m going to share with you how that all came to be. :)

For the longest time, I’ve been trying to get a family member (ANY ONE OF THEM) to co-author a book with me. It’s been a no-go, thus far. I settled on asking my daughters if they wanted any of the characters to be named after them. You see, I’m not a terrible stickler to names. If it sounds good, it works for me. Well, my youngest hopped all over it and is where Alex got her name. My daughter took the naming one step further and renamed Jonathan to Seth plus christened Cheyenne. So that’s that.

But what about Seth? You said he was straight, right? Oh yes! He was very straight and totally cocky – God’s gift to women, or so he thought. Life was a game meant to be played, and he was playing to win. At some point along the line, I realized the boy was out of my league. Young man with sex on the brain… I had no idea what he was feeling physically, emotionally, mentally. I just couldn’t see myself stepping into his mind. :) Being the coward that I am, I copped out.

And voila! Alex received a promotion and Seth a demotion. Doing so allowed Seth to still play his games, but with Alex observing, I didn’t have to worry about what he was thinking or feeling. Yeah… I’m not afraid to take the easy way out. You should see how much I cut from a draft when I can’t get the wording just right or a scene to play out perfectly.

Can we please get back on topic, Reena? Remember… you said he was straight. In the book he’s gay. Oh yeah. That’s right. A simple waved of my magic wand and abracadabra, Seth became gay. Sorry… nothing special there. It was a whimsical thing. Lame, right? Please don’t answer that. Let’s just move on to the title.

So College Rock was the original name. I actually claimed that from the Sims 2: University Expansion; it was the title of one of the stations. In fact, my original outline incorporated quite a few of the songs. Get this: one of the bands, Steadman, let me use a couple of lines from their song Come On. Cool, huh?

Let’s skip ahead a few months. You see, I’m quite fond of Regina Spektor. One day, I was listening to her song Samson.

Reena Jacobs is just your typical writer who loves to see her words in print. As an avid reader, she’s known to hoard books and begs her husband regularly for “just one more purchase.” Her home life is filled with days chasing her preschooler and nights harassing her husband. Between it all, she squeezes in time for writing and growling at the dog. You can find Reena on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer, Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles, and Smashwords.

Today's VBT# on behalf of Pump Up Your Book Promotions is Bonnie Tracthenberg and her novel "Wedlocked".

Review: Wedlocked - Bonnie Tratchenberg- June 2011

We've all heard of Pre-Wedding Jitters but what about Post Wedding Jitters ? What happens when what's supposed to be the happiest day of your life becomes the worst day ever ?

Rebecca Ross had it all pre meeting her husband Craig , she was a talented actress who dreamed of following her Grandmother's footsteps but like most Hollywood Dreams it turned to custard when she fell in love with a Hollywood Director. As you can guess the romance and her career were short-lived and Rebecca returned home jobless to her parent's home. It was here that she met Craig Jacobs- a lovely Jewish man , her Prince Charming and since her family were all Jewish -he won the whole Ross clan over. It was to be the Wedding of a Century until Rebecca woke up on her Wedding day and discovered that she had made the worst mistake of her life and her dreams of a Prince Charming in her arms were dashed. Enter Michael - he's her sister Ruthie's date and as the story goes along keep your eyes peeled as he weaves in and out of the story.

Wedlocked follows the next few days of Rebecca's life as her marriage to Craig goes flows from one disaster to a next , will she be able to escape this marriage and the saying that Mr Right may be right in front of you rings true.

Author Guest Post:

Wedlocked: The Story Behind the Story

What drives a person to write a book? A vivid imagination? A love of storytelling? A calling? A cause? A quandary? Novels are often inspired by dramatic episodes—events that touch us, torture us and sometimes change the trajectory of our lives.

In my case, it was an unfortunate marriage I endured more than ten years ago. The events that took place before, during, and shortly after the wedding were so remarkable and indelible, they cried out to be shared with the world. Writing Wedlocked: A Novel was a calling of a certain kind—and certainly a catharsis. In fact, it helped set my world right again when I was still reeling from the shock. And the satisfaction I’ve found from entertaining people all over the country, and even across “the pond” has made living through this calamity ultimately quite rewarding.

The parallels between my life and that of my protagonist Rebecca Ross are “uncanny.” Although she’s an actress, not a writer, and has a troubled relationship with her difficult mother— the opposite of the wonderful relationship I enjoy with mine, similarities do abound. I, too, grew up in a NY suburb, left after college to move to Los Angeles, returned after years of disappointment and heartache to my own version of a nervous breakdown, and unfortunately, married stupidly out of desperation, fear and impulse.

If you read Wedlocked you’ll be surprised to know that many of the bizarre events leading up to and during Rebecca’s wedding are largely factual. Her underlying terror and panic, the insane strife between her and her groom, and even the event that prompted their engagement. At the wedding, most of the mishaps depicted in the book actually occurred, but more importantly, Rebecca’s misery is a true reflection of what I felt on the day of my wedding. It’s something no bride should feel, but unfortunately so many do. Much to everyone’s shock, the insanity that ensues during the honeymoon is strongly based in truth. Like the saying goes, “You can’t make this s#$t up!” At least not all of it.

In life, when you experience something that goes so completely against your expectations, your frame of reference, your comfort zone, and even surpasses the fears in your imagination, it begs to be purged, examined, and carefully spilled onto the pages of a book. If you can infuse it with humor, as I did, all the better! Turning a disaster into something productive that actually entertains others in the process was a great feat—and my way of turning lemons into lemonade. I hope you’ll read Wedlocked and enjoy the fictionalized story of my life. And if you do, I’d love to hear from you!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Are you a fan of Max Lucado's works ? Looking for the perfect Christian Picture Book for your child ?

Review: Thank You God, For Blessing Me- Max Lucado- 2011

Looking for that perfect picture book for your child aged 0-5 years ? Wanting to teach them all about God's blessings and the wonderful things that he does and can provide for us all ?

Join Max Lucado as he presents his character the lovable caterpillar Hermie , Hermie shares with us in this cute 5pg adorable board book all the things that God has done for him that he is thankful for from providing him with food, shelter to having awesome friends.

This would make a godly and wonderful addition to any Christian home and child's collection.

Underwear - the word that makes children giggle ? Something that is a nessecity to us all ? Ever wondered about it ? Where it came from ?

With Tanya's new book "50 Underwear Questions" you too can find out.

Review: 50 Underwear Questions- Tanya Lloyd Kri- September 2011

When you think of the word Underwear, we see it as a nessecity and when you are young - it becomes a word that you giggle at as surprisingly enough -Children love the word Underpants and Underwear. Just look at one of the most popular books for boys - The Captain Underpants Series where the superhero is wearing what looks like big white underwear and his sidekick Super Duper Diaper Baby. In 50 Underwear questions, Tanya takes children on a journey of the history of Underwear from the days of the mummies in Eygpt to the Cavemen in Neanderthal times - we learn that Cavemen and those in the Ice Age used Goatskin to make underwear with . Imagine wearing a goat down below. Throughout the novel it also includes special features called PP which does not stand for Paula Phillips (My name) in this case but Private Parts which are little tidbits about underwear and other things down there knowledge.

Most of us take our underwear for granted, but throughout history our undies have revealed a lot about who we are (king or peasant), how we work (in fields or factories) or the shapes we value (manly calves or tiny waists).The third book in Annick's 50 Questions series tackles questions such as "What's that smell?" (Medieval Europeans thought bathing made you sick) and "Did boxers arrive in the Nick of time?" (When blue jean model Nick Kamen stepped out of his denims to reveal his boxers, sales of the underwear soared.)Underwear has played a role in ancient crusades, city sieges and even modern economic predictions. Obviously, it's time to uncover the facts about everything from loincloths and T-shirts to bloomers and lingerie. Young readers will laugh their pants off at the accompanying cartoons and get the bare, but fascinating, facts about the history of our unmentionables.

So next time , your child asks you a question about Underwear or they are doing a school project on underwear, remember the book "50 Underwear Questions" to answer well .... the questions.